Panacea
by Strokes of Everything
Summary: What more could one want than a cure-all to all problems?  But what if those problems and solutions were different in the eyes of the beholder? It all comes down to what goes down in yet another version of KHIII. Come read and review!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Kingdom Hearts, but I don't. I only own the plot of this piece of fiction, and some of the characters and things mentioned in it.**

Key:

"_Thinking"_

"Speaking"

**Chapter title and changes**

_Flashback_

**Preface**

"_Get to the Tower. Just get to the Tower. Just. Keep. Running."_

She knew this day was coming. She knew her destiny was going to catch up to her eventually, it was just that, well...

She didn't think it would come so soon.

The scene outside kept replaying in her mind, majestic knights clad in glistening armor defending the majestic, modern palace in which she was know sprinting through, desperately trying to get to her destination. She could hear the clamoring of weapons behind her, the hacking of door codes approaching faster and faster. She had trained for this, practiced each scenario for this day, knew every hallway, every escape route, every possible attack that could've been thrown on the castle.

Except for this one.

Cursing under her breath, the Princess kept charging forward, trying not to get distracted from the cries for help and the fighting going on. Their efforts would be for nothing if she couldn't hold up her half of the plan. The teen felt far enough away from the main assault group to catch her breath, but she knew better than to give them the chance to catch up. She knew the castle, but the architect knew it better. The violent shattering of a crystalline statue crashing to the ground followed by a yell of pain caused her to turn around for a second in panic, chest rapidly rising from trying to catch her breath.

"Arete! Follow Arete, dammit!" a deep voice boomed from the source of the commotion, followed by what sounded like numerous people clambering to get up. The order snapped the Princess out of her moment of relaxation, forcing her to start sprinting onward once again, but a smirk appeared on her face at the realization that whatever henchmen were chasing her just lost a good few minutes reorganizing, and those same henchmen aren't the greatest threat to her life.

After a moment of deliberation, the second part struck a great deal of fear in Arete; the worst was yet to come.

"_Almost there, three more corridors, you can do it."_ Lungs burning, the Princess wasn't sure whether she was going to make it or not. The more prominent question in her mind was whether or not she'd make it before her pursuers would.

They had control now, and there was nothing she could do about it. The Cabal had learned how to take destiny in their own hands, and now the only option was to go plan B. Make a run for it to the Tower of Providence, and hope that wherever the worlds took her, it was someplace safe.

Someplace safe... that was where she was right before all this happened. But then the Cabal had to ruin everything.

**X - - - - - - - - - X**

_A black, gleaming holographic banner is floating high up in the center of the domed ballroom, the words 'Happy Birthday Arete' displayed in aquamarine calligraphy._

_Hundreds of guests dressed in formal wear are mingling below, dancing and feasting away beneath the contrasting sky._

_Gentle, but not boring, music fills the air, as some guests dance away in the center of the room. Tables and seating areas surround the middle of the room where those who are not dancing are enjoying the celebration. Laughter and happiness fills the air, and all in attendance are having the time of their lives._

_The teen of the moment is seated at the north of the room atop her sleek, metal throne, saying hello and mingling with her guests. The glowing light of the sunset accents her blond-brown hair flowing just past her shoulders, and her chameleon eyes have taken the color of pure gold from her sheer ecstasy of being in this moment. Her silky aquamarine floor-length dress drapes her slim figure in elegance, and accentuates her sleek shoulders and neck with a clean strapless bodice. Her guests are happy, her people are happy, and everything seems to finally be going right. _

_Her brother is seated to her left, beaming at his sister's happiness. But Skylar's the one who senses the disturbance first, and he tries not to let his sudden uneasiness startle his sister. He's never known how long they would actually have. He knows his sister has an inept ability to sense problems as well, but so far she has not shown any signs of anxiety. Maybe she's too caught up in the moment, maybe she just doesn't want to accept that it's there. But Skylar knows he's all she has left, and right now she needs him to stay strong, or at least let her enjoy the moment while it lasts. _

_His bright green eyes glance quickly to his right at the guards in black Mantrarmor standing nearby, careful not to let his sister see his miniscule nod in their direction. The two large men tap the side of their sunglasses, causing a screen to appear, and the guards stationed around the room move to guard the doors giving entrance to the party. _

_Everything is almost in place, the perimeter almost secure, until Arete sees the last guard to get into place, and her expression goes from one of extreme happiness to that of confusion, panic, and worry. Skylar clasps her hand on the adjoining armrest of their thrones and sends a reassuring smile her way that doesn't really reach his eyes. But it keeps her anxiety in check. _

_Until two dozen Cabal agents come crashing through the glass dome ceiling. _

_Numerous high-pitched screams can be heard from the room as glass comes crashing down and the previously cheerful guests realize the situation they are now in. Men and women try to cover their bodies from the falling glass, and children run to their mothers and fathers for some type of security that seems almost impossible to give. An alarm sounds as more ISO agents come rushing in, and the party-goers start scrambling for the exits. _

_But the Cabal members are quick, and start destroying the tables, taunting the guests, and engaging in struggles with both nobles and security agents throughout the room. _

_But Skylar and Arete know the true objective of the attack isn't just to ruin the Princess' birthday party. _

_Skylar was the first one to move, jumping up with Arete's hand still in his. Pulling his sister up to her feet, they both started to run toward the double doors nearest to them. As they weaved in and out of the guests trying to do the exact same thing, he noticed his sister's change in eye color to a deep blue, and bit his lip. That was the last thing they needed right now._

_An ISO agent saw the two running for the exit and caught hold of Arete's hand. The Princess turned around slowly, not feeling very motivated to do anything else, overtaken by a great sense of grief and remorse. Skylar turned once he noticed he couldn't get anywhere, and was about to strike the man until he saw who it was. "We have to get her out of here, Verrill, and fast," Skylar directed. He scanned the crowd for any nearby Cabal agents; they seemed to be far enough away, but he knew better than to let that fact fool them. Arete's eyes became a light blue color at the mentioning of Verrill's name, and perked up a tad, issuing a sigh of relief from her brother. Verrill nodded in agreement, maintained his grasp on Arete's hand, and guided them to a secret exit in the wall a few feet away. _

_As Verrill ushered first Skylar then Arete through the opening, he lightly grabbed the Princess' shoulder and gave her a warm smile once she turned around. "There's nothing to worry about. Just show 'em not to mess with the Eneji again, all right?" He stated, giving her a thumbs up. The teen nodded, smiled, and let out a small chuckle, her eyes turning back to her regular blue and gold color. With that, she followed her brother out of the passage._

_The two managed to make it without hearing any sounds of pursuit for about a minute until they heard the masterful quick-stepping of feet coming from the hallway they had just turned out of. As they neared the staircase leading to the main foyer, Skylar slowed to a stop. Sliding to a halt, his sister turned around to look at him, confusion written on her face._

"_What are you doing..? We have to keep going!" She exclaimed, trying to catch her breath. _

_Skylar shook his head, and gave his sister a crooked grin. "You keep going. I'm going to stay and finally give these bastards a piece of my mind," he replied, drawing his two swords from his side. _

_Arete tried to hold back the fear in her voice. "This isn't the time, or place Skylar! You can get your revenge later. I want to do the same, after what they did to mom and dad! But this isn't the time or place!" She tried to reason with him, voice slightly cracking. _

_The footsteps were closer now, probably no more than twenty feet away from turning the corner. Skylar let out a grunt of laughter and turned around to face the oncoming opponents. "You know what they say… there's no time like the present. I love you, Ree," he said, not a hint of fear in his voice._

_Arete swallowed a sob that was trying to form in the back of her throat and gathered up her courage. There was no way she was going to let him down. "Love you too, Sky," she replied, then turned on her heel and started sprinting down the staircase._

**X - - - - - - - - - X**

The departure from her brother had been about six minutes ago, and Arete hoped her brother had survived them.

"_Confuse them, take an extra turn somewhere."_ But there were no extra turns to the Tower now, she was too close. Behind her, she could hear those awful men's footsteps moving faster than hers were at the moment; at this rate she had no hope of finding a safe haven before they captured her.

But she wouldn't let Skylar down, not now. There were too many people counting on her succeeding, too many problems that would arise if she didn't. She was too close to her destination to quit now.

Somehow, she found the energy to sprint faster through the halls of the castle, through the giant study near the final stretch. Bursting through the doors to the back courtyard, the Princess was finally in the home stretch to the Tower.

**X - - - - - - - - - X**

The interior courtyard had always been Arete's favorite. It held her favorite memories, her favorite flowers, and her favorite view of the sky above. There had been many times that the Princess had snuck out to lay on the soft grass and gaze at the stars above, until she eventually let sleep overtake her. She would always be reprimanded for her actions in the morning, but it wouldn't keep her from sneaking back out to freedom again.

Afterall, it was one of the only chances she had to actually feel free.

She hardly had time to look around at the landscaping and the contrasting sky above seeing as she was now trying to outrun her pursuers, but the elegant aromas coming from the flowers planted around didn't escape her senses. They calmed her, allowing the teen to focus a little, and invigorated her to keep moving forward. She'd come back one day, she knew. And then she could bask in the comfort of the gardens just like before.

Panting fully now, the blonde finally reached the tower gates. Unable to open them, she started shaking the bars, hoping to break the lock loose. She glanced behind her, only to catch a glimpse of the men coming after her. They were smirking now, their prey within their grasp. Cursing under her breath, Arete realized she must have miscalculated their speed.

Either that, or her brother hadn't been successful.

The Princess fought back the tears forming in her eyes, before she realized something. There was no way that they were the men that had been chasing her and her brother before; they had a different step pattern than the group outside the ballroom. This gave Arete a bit of hope, and she focused back on getting into the Tower.

Unable to unlock the tower gates, she started shaking the bars, hoping to break the lock loose. Desperate, she lifted one foot and then the other where she could in one of the gates, and flung herself over. She heard the tearing of her gown and felt a bit of a searing pain in her left leg, but that didn't keep her from jumping down. Now on the other side, feeling a little safer even with her leg throbbing from the pain, the Princess sprinted up to the tower doors, slipping swiftly inside as she heard her pursuers pick up the pace.

The only thing standing between her and the start of her journey was the winding spiral staircase presented before her. The actual peak of the tower was four floors up, and there was no time to waste with the Cabal not far behind. Biting her lip to try to take her mind off the injury in her leg, Arete started her ascent to the top.

If there was one thing clear to her in the several minutes it took to dash up the spiral staircase while catching glimpses of the Cabal right behind, it was that whoever opts for spiral staircases in the first place never thought that a person who holds the fate of the universe in their existence will one day be running for her life up it. Needless to say, the princess was running out of breath, and fast; adrenaline was the only thing keeping her going. And the trail of blood coming from her leg – well, let's just say that it didn't really work with the color scheme of the stairs. Nevertheless, she pressed forward, hearing the angry shouts coming from behind her.

Pushing her full weight against the doors at the top of the staircase, the teen stumbled into the golden room. Silver scrollwork decorated the walls, and elegant floor to ceiling windows were placed every few feet around the circular room. Arete started to glance around, trying to locate the item her mother had told her to use to get to safety. "There!" she exclaimed; her escape was finally looking to become reality.

**X - - - - - - - - - X**

The teen was just about to place a hand on the Orb of Providence and recite what she had been told since day one to say on this fateful day, before she stiffened at the dark laughter emanating from behind her.

"Ah, ah, ahh. You don't think you're getting away that easily, do you?" The voice taunted her from behind. Arete gasped but didn't turn around, focused on getting to the Orb just a few feet away.

Before she reached it though, she heard the man behind her chant something no louder than a whisper, and she felt her body starting to go limp and her eyes finding it difficult to stay open. "_Damn it! Just a little farther!"_

Limping along with her potential kidnapper following at a leisurely pace, the teen managed to collapse onto the glowing orb that was her only hope of escape. "Heh, actually Aldon, I do," she breathed. "_Aid me, Orb of Providence. Get me out of here; take me to wherever I'm supposed to go." _Just as the orb of light surrounded her, the teen passed out, free of the man's ill intentions.

At least for the moment.

Somewhere, in another palace, not too far from her own world, that same orb of light appeared, the princess inside but still unconscious from whatever had been cast on her. A dark-haired patrolling soldier was walking by on his usual route, when he noticed the arrival of the girl. Panic overtook his facial expression, and he immediately ran off in the opposite direction. The orb of light began to lose its glow, and fell to the ground, its luster seeming to have vanished forever. The soldier immediately ran off in the opposite direction as fast as his legs could carry him.

Finally reaching the grandiose double doors at the end of an adjacent corridor, the male flung them open. A pair of royal mice stopped their conversation immediately, and turned to face the exasperated man.

"Your Majesties, we have a major problem!"

So, how was it? Not as bad as I expected… now that I've edited it. I know there's a lot in this chapter that's confusing, considering I haven't really explained them, yet. But it'll get there, I promise.

I'd very much appreciate it, and by very much I mean I'd give you a hug, if I knew you in person, but since I don't, I'll give you a cyber-hug. I guess that works. And I'd give you a cookie. And a review back!

But you've got to click that button down there….

Grazie!

-Strokes


	2. Chapter 1: Way Back When

**Chapter 1: Way Back When**

_A woman with long, gently curled, dark brown hair and strikingly blue eyes looks out onto a brilliant view of the ocean. Her hair blows softly with the wind, and although she's smiling, her eyes seem clouded with thought and worry. She holds the hand of a small girl, looking about the age of five, with medium length blond-brown hair and grey-hued eyes. The child is only interested in the worry she can sense from her parents, and not the endless blue splashing at the shoreline in front of her. To the woman's right is her husband, his facial expression hard to read. He too gazes out at the seemingly endless ocean, mouth firm. His flaxen hair contrasts with his hazel eyes elegantly, and he stands slightly taller than his wife. To his right stands their son, a brown haired child about the age of nine, with piercing green eyes and signs of maturity and struggle no one younger than the age of at least twenty should show. He too stares out at the ocean, only sometimes glancing left to look at his younger sister. _

_The royal family had come down to the beach for a day of fun in the sun, to escape the harsh reality that only three of them really knew, and everything was going great. Until Arete had said during their picnic lunch, "How come Chancellor Gacheru makes those big men stand outside my room all the time?" And then everyone didn't have the appetite to eat anymore. Her mother tried to pass it off as nothing, but Arete wasn't one to be fooled. So she brought it up again after finding playing in the ocean boring, which brought them to where they were now._

_Trying to figure out if it was the right time to tell Arete her destiny, and if so,_

_How to do it in the easiest way possible._

_They could leave a few details out, sure. But the Princess was a curious and inquisitive little girl, and certainly outspoken. It wouldn't be long before she demanded answers. Her mother, Lenna was the first to speak, letting out a self-calming sigh._

_"You're here for a very special reason sweetie," Lenna began, her grip on her daughter's tiny hand tightening._

_"Like what, mommy? Besides being your little Princess?" Arete questioned, her tiny brow furrowing in confusion._

**X** - - - - - - - - **X**

"….send word…"

Still unconscious, but now resting in the Disney castle infirmary, the teen girl's mind was having difficulty distinguishing between reality and memory. Her rational mind kept trying to wake up and to listen to the conversation taking place…somewhere around her. The rest of her subconscious wanted to drift back to what she was remembering, back to before her destiny caught up with her. Back to when they were still a family… before everything had gone wrong…

**X** - - - - - - - - **X**

_The adolescent Arete jumped up and started to run; she could feel the flowers brush against her gown, the breeze in her hair. The figure ahead looked like her father, but that couldn't be, he was dead. He had been dead for five years, and yet there he was, blond hair neatly trimmed, glistening crown on his head. _

_Closer, closer. She was nearing him now, and could make out the burgundy shirt he was wearing; he always seemed to be wearing something majestic like that, way back when. Mother always used to say burgundy looked best on him, and she would've been proud to see how elegant he looked in it out in the sun. If she could just feel his embrace one more time, have him tell her how proud he was of her, then maybe things would get better. Maybe she could gain some closure._

_But it had been seven years since she had felt any type of love from either of her parents. _

_The figure seemed to hear her footsteps coming closer, seeing as he started to turn._

_Just then, Arete stopped, frozen in place as she contemplated just who she was running to see. It was __**him,**__ the one who split them up first, the one who had listened to the Chancellor, the one who gave in…._

_The one who had killed her mother. _

_And as the one who looked like her father turned around, Arete could tell from his different features this wasn't the man she called her father. It was just a gardener, his glasses pushed up on the top of his head as he inspected the flowers he was tending to. The Princess let out a sigh mixed with relief and disappointment, as she turned to leave. The man must have realized who he was in the presence of, and called out to her to make sure everything was all right, and she merely smiled and waved, and went on her way. _

**X** - - - - - - - - **X**

That was the beauty of memory; memories had no age, no time limit. They stay with a person forever. But that raises the question…

Is that a blessing? Or a curse? Is it better to be able to remember the great memories for a lifetime, or worse to never be able to forget the tormenting scenes of old?

It all depends on the memory.

"…in case….. leaks out…."

**X** - - - - - - - - **X**

_Lenna has been gone for some time now, and her disappearance is still presenting investigators with more questions than answers. With every new development, there seems to be three more puzzles to make things not add up. And Chancellor Gacheru kept saying they should just drop the case completely. _

_And the weird thing was, her father the King seemed just fine with it._

_Today, though, it was just father and daughter spending time together in his study. Arete loved the dark mahogany bookshelves and plush seating throughout; it was an ideal place to play hide and seek, or just take a nap. Not to mention, it provided a great view of the ocean and the sunset. _

_"You see that tower over there?"_

_Her father was pointing now with his free hand, his daughter supported by the other with his shoulder._

_"Mhmm," the seven-year-old Princess answered, gazing out the study's massive double doors._

_"If anything bad ever happens, go there as quickly as you can," Her father instructed, his voice seeming far too old for his age._

_Her father was looking her in the eye now, concern in his eyes but his expression gentle._

_"But why, daddy? What's so special about a tower?" Arete questioned, turning her gaze back to meet the hazel orbs studying her._

_"It's not the Tower, but what's in the Tower sweetie," he explained, returning his gaze out the glass panels across from them._

"_Mom used to tell me that too…" Arete whispered, trying not to let the tears brimming at her eyes escape._

_Her father's expression seemed to flash from anger to resentment and finally to sadness almost in the blink of an eye, but Arete didn't fail to notice it. She thought she ought to apologize, but her father didn't lash out on her, which seemed odd. Lately, the King had appeared short-tempered, and locked himself up in his own quarters whenever possible, trying to stay out of the public eye, and out of his children's way, for the better part of each day. _

_But today was different, and Arete hoped she hadn't ruined the rare moment she had to spend with the only parent she had left. He was different though, he seemed burdened with something, but the Princess couldn't quite figure out what. His eyes lacked the luster they used to have, and his face seemed old with remorse and guilt. But the man was still her father, and Arete was just glad to watch the sunset with him in a comfortable silence._

_"Just promise us that you'll go there as fast you can. Once you get to the top, you'll know what do. Do you promise?" Her father asked, breaking the calm of the moment after a few minutes._

_Arete didn't really understand what was going on, but she nodded in agreement._

_"I promise."_

**X** - - - - - - - - **X**

Back then it had seemed so strange, her father telling her that if anything should happen, she should run to that Tower. And even after she found out why it was so important for her to not just go there if she were in trouble but that it would play a major role in the years of her life to come, she didn't quite understand what was so special about it.

Besides the fact that there were, well, four of them.

"I think she's coming to!" A seemingly far-away voice shouted.

As the picturesque view of her former life began to fade back to black, the view of reality began to fade back into her mind's eye. The elegant study surrounding them seemed to evaporate around them, the white room around her taking its place. Her father's image began to fade away, only instead of disappearing peacefully, his appearance began to change. His clothing became darker, his face was unrecognizable. She could tell he was sneering at her, the loving father she knew was long gone. Her younger self gasped and jumped out of his arm, and the frightening image was gone.

Tense and wide-eyed, the princess found herself sitting upright and panting hard. Once she could tell there was no threat in the immediate area, her eyes fell on a tall, young woman whose face was familiar. Still somewhat weary from the events of the past, the teen didn't dare to get her voice above a whisper, "Algæca?"

The woman in the sleek, black ISO uniform smirked and came over to her, placing a hand upon her back.

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

(A/N) Filler chapter… yeah. It turned out better than before, in my opinion. I have a feeling next chapter is going to be super duper long, but it'll hopefully answer some of the randomness of the first two.

Read and review, please! Schmanks!


	3. Chapter 2: Prepare for Departure

**Disclaimer: Only in mah dreams do I own Kingdom Hearts.**

**Chapter 2: Prepare for Departure**

Taking a second to calm down her racing heart, Arete glanced around her. Although she had no idea where she was, Arete presumed from the furnishings of the room around her that it was at least somewhat of a serene place. The white walls were calming, and the windows let in plenty of warm sunlight to light the room up. A fireplace was glowing over on one side, which was comforting, and a few chairs and a sofa were gathered around it. A larger than normal door seemed to be the entrance, but it wasn't so big to be intimidating. And if it weren't for the fact she was currently laying in a hospital-like bed, Arete would be downright comfortable.

Looking back to Algæca, Arete decided to breach the subject on her mind.

"How in the world…."

"Did I escape? It was quite simple, actually," Algæca finished. The fiery red-headed young woman stepped back to lean against the wall, the smirk still on her face. Flipping her bangs out of the way of her eyes, Algæca continued, "As it turns out, that brother of yours can put up a fight. He and the rest of the ISO managed to push back the enemy, and now they're all sitting in prison. As soon as you fled from the palace though, Aldon gave up the assault; now's he turned to finding you by whatever means necessary," she explained, walking over to a nearby counter to pour the girl a glass of water. The Princess gladly accepted it, taking careful sips. Algæca sat down in a golden-colored sofa across from the bed-laden girl, and let out a deep sigh. Twirling her long side-braid, she gave Arete a sympathetic, yet stern look. "You've gotten yourself into quite a handful this time, haven't you?"

Arete ran her thumb over the edge of the now empty glass, looking away from the red-headed woman.

"Except this time, it isn't just me…"

**X** - - - - - - - - **X**

Surf, sun, and sand. Everything that they had missed these past years was finally back in their grasp; everyone was finally home at Destiny Islands. The past three weeks had been perfect; nothing had changed.

Sora and Riku were out enjoying the sunset along the shoreline; Kairi had run home quickly to gather up some things for their third night out sleeping under the stars. Considering that they hadn't been back for so long, all three agreed that sleeping outside was the best way to enjoy their return home.

The two Keyblade Masters had perched themselves atop one of the paopu trees the Islands were known for, Riku with one leg dangling down from the trunk, head rested on his knee, and Sora sitting with both legs outstretched, hands behind his head. Neither of the heroes had felt it right to break the comfortable silence, and they were enjoying the feeling of the warm light of the sun on their faces.

"So, you think it's finally over? I mean, do you think everything's at peace now?" Riku inquired, the gentle sea breeze now blowing through his silver hair.

"I honestly don't know Riku, but I sure hope so. I'm not really ready to leave again," the brunette replied, contemplating. Everything _seemed _fine; there were no instances of Heartless, or Nobodies for that matter, at least on the islands.

Maybe it was finally over, maybe, just maybe, things would be absolutely perfect from now on. Everyone was back in the Realm of Light, right? Maybe there really was a happy ending.

Yeah, that was a big 'maybe'.

"Sora! Riku!" a voice shouted from farther down the beach. Sora and Riku turned their heads to see Kairi running toward them, looking somewhat exasperated. As the crimson haired girl began to come closer, the two males could see she had something in her hand. It looked like a bottle of some sort, but they couldn't tell. When Kairi finally reached the duo, now firmly planted on the ground, she was out of breath, and her blue-violet eyes had small traces of worry in them. Raising up the bottle, Sora took it out of her hand, only to notice the letter inside. Taking it out, he held it so that all three of them could read it.

_Dear Sora, Riku, and Kairi_

_I'm writing this in a rush, and as much as I hate to call on you three once more, I'm afraid something has arisen that could alter the good fortune we've had. There's more good news than bad though, so come to the Castle as quickly as possible. Your friends from Hollow Bastion will be there as well. I can't write more at the moment, you'll be informed once you arrive._

_Sincerely,_

_King Mickey_

Sora quietly sighed, rolling the letter up once more. Looks like things weren't finished after all. Thank the universe for that one. Apparently Riku felt the same way; he was avoiding eye contact and looking out toward the ocean, seemingly lost in thought. This was definitely _not_ part of the plan. The brunette had been staring up at the sky for a few seconds before a girlish voice beside him broke the silence.

"At least I'm coming with you this time."

Wait, what? Hell no. Riku whipped back around to stare Sora directly in the eye. There was no way that was happening; there were way too many chances she could get hurt. They didn't even know what was going to happen for crying out loud; there was no way they were going to let Kairi come with them on whatever they were being called on to do. As much as they'd love to have her tag along, it just wasn't a good idea in any way, shape, or form.

Kairi sensed the "telepathic" deliberation going on between her two best friends, causing a pestered huff to come out of her mouth. She placed her hands on her hips, determined not to back down. "He said, 'you three.' There's no way you're leaving me here! His Majesty said so!" the red head demanded. No way would she stay on the beach again, waiting for so long for them to come back. If they came back. Kairi felt small shivers course through her body at that thought, so she turned her attention back to the debate at hand.

"But Kai-" Sora tried to reason.

"No! There's no 'but' about it! I'm not going to just stand here on the beach for months or even years for you guys again! It was agony the first time. I'm going with you!" the red head almost cried, tightening her grip on her hips a little to fight the tears back.

Riku and Sora glanced at each other again, the looks on their faces portraying both pity and understanding. It wasn't right for them to leave her, after all. Who knew when they'd return. And they couldn't really disobey the King; maybe taking Kairi with them really was safer than leaving her on the islands.

After about thirty seconds that seemed to last thirty years to Kairi, the two boys finally sighed in unison.

"Fine. Let's go pack, we should probably leave tonight. It sounds like whatever this is, it's major," Riku announced, placing his hands in his pockets. The three best friends nodded in agreement before Riku spoke once more. "It's about 5 o'clock now, so we'll meet back here around 11. How does that sound?" the silver haired teen suggested. It gave them time to at least have dinner with their families before leaving for this next big adventure. It wasn't ideal, but at least it was something.

A sad aura seemed to make its way into the group then, but the teens knew they didn't really have a choice. Sora and Kairi subconsciously turned to look toward where their respective houses lay off in the distance, and then turned back to Riku, their minds set.

"Okay. Eleven. At the pier."

Meanwhile, in the world of Hollow Bastion, the Restoration committee has just received a letter of their own.

"SQUAAAAALL!" A highly-energetic voice called out, traveling throughout the hallways of the newly restored castle in Hollow Bastion. "SQUALL LEONHART! WHERE ARE YOU?" The voice rang again, a bit of annoyance in her tone.

"DAMMIT YUFFIE. WE INSTALLED AN INTERCOM FOR A REASON," Squall Leonhart, or Leon as he preferred to be called, answered through said system.

Prancing over to the nearest intercom console, the spunky ninja pushed the talk button, getting incredibly close. "Right… I forgot about that. Sorry Squa-"

"I TOLD YOU NEVER TO CALL ME THAT. And by the way, move back a little. You still sound like you're yelling," Squall replied.

"Fine, fine. Sheesh, you can be so demanding sometimes," Yuffie huffed, stepping back a bit. "Anyway, I need you to gather everyone up in the control room. We've got mail!" she cheered.

"And why does today's mail require a Committee meeting?" Leon sighed, rubbing his temples. Even if he was separated from Yuffie by hallways with stone walls, she still managed to give him a headache.

"Because! It's from the King! See ya in a few, Squall!" Yuffie said, skipping away from the intercom to the Control Room.

"Wait! Yuffie! YUFFIE COME BACK! What does it say?" Leon shouted through the intercom system. His questions received no answer, though, as the female ninja was already ignoring him, on her way to the control room, letter in tow.

**X** - - - - - - - - **X**

So who gave you these clothes, anyway?" Arete questioned, taking another careful spin around to see her new attire. The teen almost fell over, despite turning as slowly and possible, and had to steady herself on the handle of the mirror she was standing in front of. Algæca had somehow found some new clothes for the Princess that were not all torn up in this gigantic castle, which Arete now knew to be named Disney Castle. Along with the knowledge of the place she was currently residing in, thanks to the kindness of King Mickey and Queen Minnie, Algæca let her in on the fact that she had been unconscious for two and a half days.

Her new outfit was ten times more comfortable and relaxed than the attire she was required to wear at court, and didn't have a skirt to get caught on things. The pants came right to the top her knees, and were gathered a bit at the end and gold in color with a silky, metallic sheen to them. They were a snug fit, but not too snug that they were uncomfortable or unsightly, and had silver strings tied in bows at the end of the gathered fabric by her knees. Her top was made of the same golden silk, and came down about mid-thigh. It was gathered in the middle, right about her waist, by a medium sized bronze silken sash that had a bow of the golden material sewn to the middle of it. The sash and its components travelled around to the back, where it too was tied in a large bow. The top had a right sleeve that travelled to about the middle of her hand, with floral patterns in silver and bronze thread travelling down the sleeve. This covered her bandaging keeping the arm she had injured in place. The top itself had a v-neck, but not a revealing one. On her left arm, she had a detached sleeve in silver that went all the way down her hand, and had holes for her fingers to go through. The bandages around her hand poked through and covered her fingers. Finally, she had been given new shoes that had a flat bottom, made of a soft but durable cotton-like material dyed bronze. Her leg had healed faster than expected, and thankfully hadn't fractured from her jump over the fence. The dressings that were covering the still-healing wound on her leg could been seen below the ending of her pants, but Arete didn't mind.

"I brought them with me on my way here, actually. I found the part of your dress that had been torn by your failed attempt at being a track star on the day of the assault, and picked it up on a small world covered half by forest, and half by desert," Algæca answered, tying a golden-brown sash into the teen's hair, keeping everything but her side-bangs back. Placing her hands on Arete's shoulders, she looked into the mirror in front of them. "The woman said depending on the time of year, the landscape switches. Talk about having a volatile environment. I wouldn't even want to try to build a house there," the red haired woman mused, placing her chin on the teen's head.

Arete couldn't suppress her laughter, and took a step out to turn around and look at her. "I'm really glad you're here, Algæca. It kind of feels like…" Arete trailed off, not able to continue on with her trail of thought, her eyes turning a tad of a darker shade of blue. The woman ISO agent put a hand on her shoulder in understanding.

"I'm sure your mother would have done all that she could to be here too, Arete. I'm honored you think of me in that way," Algæca tried to comfort the girl. She replaced the smile on her face, and took a step toward the door. "Now let's go explore a little! There's no use focusing on the negatives, and we're going to have a big audience tomorrow to attend, at least according to the King. And you know what they say, the bigger the castle, the better the food!" she cheered, throwing a fist in the air. At this the Princess giggled once more, the storm that had clouded her eyes receding. With a nod of her head in agreement, they were off.

**X** - - - - - - - - **X**

It had taken Yuffie about five minutes to get down to the Restoration Committee control room, a personal record for the easily distracted ninja, but it had taken Leon about twenty minutes to round up Aerith, Cid, and Merlin. Aerith was tending one of the gardens, and kept shoving flowers in Leon's arms without looking whenever he tried to tell her to head to the Control Room, Cid had been messing around in the gummi hanger, and managed to let off an explosion after being surprised by Leon's hurried shouts, destroying the middle of a hanger door in the process, and Merlin was trying to undo a spell he had cast on a nay-sayer of his powers, accidentally turning him into a frog, instead of the flower pot he was trying to transform.

After all the chaos, the four HBRC members managed to get back to the control room – in one piece – only to find Yuffie sitting and sipping a cup of tea, feet up on the table, and on top of Leon's 'very important' documents. Trying not to blow a gasket, Leon took a deep breath, settling in his usual position – leaning against a wall, arms crossed, and let out a sigh as Aerith, Cid, and Merlin took their own places around the room. As Leon was about to speak, Yuffie put on a sarcastic smirk, a twinkle of mischievousness in her eye. "Took you long enough, Squall," she taunted, taking her feet off the table and putting her cup down. Leon's eyes bugged out, and Yuffie could've sworn a vein was about to pop out of his forehead, but Aerith shot him a warning glance, and the gunblade wielder took a calming breath in.

"So what does it say, Yuffie?" Leon inquired, trying to keep his voice nonchalant. The ninja put her hands behind her head, staring up at the ceiling. "The King needs us at the castle tomorrow. Something else has come up, and he's calling us in for duty. That's it, though," she informed the group. Aerith, Cid, and Merlin all started to combination excitedly chatter and shout questions at Yuffie when Leon whistled to get them to stop.

"And you're sure that's all it said?" Leon asked. It made sense to him that King Mickey would leave out classified information, for fear of the letter being intercepted. But Yuffie was known to coincidentally leave things out that could be helpful beforehand, so he decided to ask.

"Mmmm, let me think…" Yuffie mused, tapping her finger to her chin. Leon 'hmffed', thinking it would be easier if she just let them _read_ the letter themselves, but he had had enough hassles today, and decided to let the girl do it her way. Yuffie practically knocked the chair she had been sitting in over as she bounced up. "There was one other thing.." she said, a smile growing on her face.

"What?" Aerith, Cid, Merlin, and Leon said in unison.

"Sora, Riku, and Kairi are coming too!"

After Yuffie's last minute addition, the group decided to leave right away for Disney Castle. They were all already packed, as per Leon's mini freak out over the fact anything could happen at anytime, that might make them have to leave. But instead of leaving in the gummi normally, Cid decided to completely "remodel" the hanger door, seeing as he had already created a giant hole in the middle of it. It proved a tad traumatic for Aerith, hilarious for Cid, grumble-making for Leon, and inspiration to "DO IT AGAIN!" from Yuffie.

**X** - - - - - - - - **X**

Out of Sora's, Riku's, and Kairi's parents, Sora's took the news of them having to leave again the best. His mother, Aseema, and his father, Coridan, helped him pack, and then they all sat down to eat dinner together before Sora set out. Although the conservations at and after dinner went on as if nothing was going to happen, Sora could sense his parent's hidden worry and sorrow. But he could also sense their sense of pride in the accomplishments of their son, and smiled softly to himself every now and then because of it. On his way out the door, he hugged the both of them tightly, and promised he'd be back as soon as possible.

Riku's parents were the next easiest to reassure. Idania was quieter than her usual self once she heard the news, worrying her son a bit and Kyran seemed to be playing an unending game of twenty questions with Riku. Idania managed to offer up a bit of reassurance and humor while Riku helped in the kitchen before dinner, and things lightened up a little bit during dinner. His mother began to talk a little more, and joke around, and twenty questions felt more like ten. His parents helped him pack as well, and after some reminiscing, and some mushy family goodness that was mushy family okayness for Riku (even though he felt sadder than he wanted to let on) he hugged his mother and gave his father a handshake before heading out to the pier.

For Kairi, let's just say it's a good thing the boys let her keep the letter for evidence. Her adoptive parents were far from okay with letting her leave, least of all to a different world. After her disappearances before, Kairi was amazed she wasn't homeschooled and never being allowed out. Ever. So she casually approached the subject, at the dinner table, which in hindsight probably was not the best way to approach things. Her mother, Blanché, instantly looked down at her lap as her father, Calum, started to drill her with why he "Wouldn't stand for any of this Keyblade nonsense." After a good five minutes of her father's irrational ranting, Kairi had had enough.

"Stop! Just stop! You don't understand at all!" Kairi interrupted, standing up from her seated position. Tears were daring to streak her cheeks, but she held her ground.

"I've waited for them for as long as they've been gone. I've waited, and waited, and I've even gone to _look_ for them. And you still say I'm not allowed to go? I want to prove myself. And I want to finally know where I'm from! About my past!" she said, a few tears escaping, her voice cracking a bit.

Regaining her composure, Kairi looked her father in the eye, disregarding his shocked expression. Her mother had looked up by this point, a small smile hinting at the corners of her mouth. Although she didn't say it, she was proud of Kairi for finally standing up for herself. They had never wanted to shield her from her origins, but they were merely afraid for her safety, and whether they'd be, well, forgotten.

"Please, just let me go. I promise I'll stay safe. Riku and Sora will take good care of me, and I may even be back before you know it," the teen reasoned, trying to maintain her calm.

Her father placed his napkin and his elbows on the table, folded his hands together, and placed his nose on top of them, clearly in thought. After some deliberation, Calum agreed, ushering a sigh of relief from Blanché, and a smile from his daughter. A few rapid-fire "thank yous" followed from Kairi, and much hugging, and a few more tears, then Blanché helped her pack before they both saw her off.

With that, the trio met up on the pier, luggage in tow, and with a nod of agreement, started up the gummi ship the King had somehow sent to them that arrived with the letter, and were off.

((A/N: So what do you think? It was longer, since it's been a while. Aaand, it's kind of a filler. But next chapter will reveal some things (; I PROMISE D: If there isn't anything, you can… put me in a locker? I do fit in lockers. Well, some of them. Not the middle school lockers, I'm too tall for those. The high school ones are bigger, though.

I didn't make the trio's discussions very detailed, because I might post them separately later on...

Review for a review? And a virtual hug :3 Unless you don't want a hug. Just click that button, you can do it!))


	4. Chapter 3: Introductions and Goodbyes

**Disclaimer: I bought the rights to Kingdom Hearts! ****Ahah, just kidding. ****Yo no tengo nada. I wish I owned the franchise, but I don't. Bummer. I also don't own Lays, Doritos, or Marcel the Shell. **

**Chapter 3: Introductions and Goodbyes**

After getting lost a few times, having a small fight over whether Lays were better than Doritos, arguing whether Marcel the Shell could really get sunburn from a diamond, and Cid chasing Leon around the gummi ship with a spatula after the gunblade wielder made a witty comment about how good he looked in an apron, the full Hollow Bastion gang managed to make it to Disney Castle right around midday.

Stepping out of the gummi hatch, the great ninja Yuffie stretched her arms above her head, let out a small yawn, and continued on her way to the castle doors. One of the few who actually got some sleep on the trip to the castle, a result of her and Aerith blockading the room of cots for "girl space," she looked refreshed and ready to take on whatever the King had to offer. Aerith was next to exit, a look of concern and regret appearing on her face as she glanced over her shoulder at the haggard and exhausted Leon, Cid, and Merlin. Leon was sporting a spatula mark on the right side of his face, and apparently had a bit of batter stuck in his hair; how that got there, she didn't know. Cid was still mumbling about "men in aprons," and Merlin was trying to cast a spell on them that would wake them up. Aerith turned around in time to see him turn Leon's leftover hair batter into an awkward heart clip, then back to batter, at which point she turned back around. However, the brown-haired girl deduced that the wizard must've been successful, as Leon made his way up to the front of the group, the spring in his step back and the batter in his hair nowhere to be seen. Of course, it helped her inference that she could hear Merlin doing a victory dance as they walked along too.

Soon enough, the group was at the front entrance to the castle. As they approached it, Donald and Goofy appeared in front of the massive doors a good distance away, waving and smiling, as usual. The group quickened their pace, met the two warriors at the door, and entered the castle, mentally preparing themselves for the worst.

**X - - - - - - - - - X**

It took Sora, Riku, and Kairi a longer but less tumultuous and tiresome trip to get to Disney Castle compared to their counterparts. Sora and Riku spent part of the time filling Kairi in on what the castle was like, what she should and should not do, what happens if you do something you shouldn't do, and why Marcel's pet lint makes such a great pet for a shell with shoes. The trio spent part of the night watching a movie while the ship was on autopilot, during which Sora and Riku fell asleep in their chairs, the latter falling asleep while holding a cup within drinking distance from his mouth. Kairi took it upon herself to cover the two up, remove the cup from Riku's hand clandestinely, and then head to bed herself. The three of them woke up the next morning about midday, with grumbling stomachs and a new sense of happiness that had seemed to falter when they had left the islands earlier. To solve the hungry teenager problem at hand, Kairi took it upon herself to make pancakes for the trio, complete with whipped cream, which they feasted on as a nice brunch, and they continued toward their destination.

Sora, Riku, and Kairi managed to make it to the King's world in the late afternoon, later than they had hoped to arrive, but ready to take on whatever challenges His Majesty had for them this time around. His letter did say he had more good news than bad, so it whatever it was that had surfaced couldn't be as difficult as their earlier trials, right?

They at least wanted to believe that.

Descending and pulling into the Castle's gummi ship hangar, the Keybladers were welcomed by the ever cheerful Chip and Dale, and quickly exited the ship via the hatch. The two mechanics came down to talk with them and jump on Sora, causing the brunette to laugh, Kairi to giggle, and Riku to give that trademark smirk. Once Chip and Dale were settled down, Sora asked where Goofy, Donald, and the King were, and the two ushered them off toward the Audience Chamber, saying all the others were waiting for them there.

As Sora and Riku lead the way, Kairi took in her surroundings. The teen was awestruck by the immense palace she was currently walking through, and enjoyed the sight of the topiaries carefully taken care of in the castle garden. Kairi kept asking questions to her two companions about where certain doors led, if all of the rooms were in use, where Sora and Riku had been in the castle, and whether they thought creating topiary figures was hard. As the trio came up to the grand doors of the chamber they were instructed to go to, Sora turned around to face the girl, laughing.

"Tell you what. Considering we got here kind of late, I highly doubt we'll be heading… out tonight. So we'll show you around the castle, then. Is that okay with you, Riku?" he said, looking at his silver-haired friend.

Riku shrugged his shoulders, crossing his arms. "Fine by me; I still have some exploring to do myself of this place. Sounds like fun," he agreed. Kairi couldn't help but awkwardly group shoulder-hug them, ecstatic about what awaited them tonight. With the size of this place, she knew there had to be all kinds of incredible sights to be seen.

Releasing Sora and Riku, Kairi took a few steps in front of the two to place herself in front of the massive, majestic doors in front of them. Riku and Sora joined her, a serious air overtaking the joking environment that had existed moments before. Kairi clasped her hands behind her back, and stared up at the handles of the doors resting at least seven feet above her head. Letting out an awed whistle, she put an innocent look on her face. "I guess I'll leave the door opening to you guys. I wouldn't want to keep you from showing off your abilities to get to those handles up there," she stated. If all the doors of the castle were like these, Kairi knew their adventuring later on might be a bit short-lived.

Sora and Riku looked at each other, trying to suppress their laughter, and looked jointly at Kairi. "All right, leave this to us! You'll be amazed at what we can do!" the duo said in unison. Kairi smiled at their antics, but that smile soon changed into more of a look of astonishment and embarrassment as her two companions jointly opened a door hidden in the massive doors right in front of them; this one just happened to be normal size, and ground level. Turning a bit red from her embarrassment, Kairi entered the entrance hall with her head somewhat down, mumbling incoherent things, and Sora and Riku laughing behind her.

Just as Sora was about to call out to Leon and the rest of the Hollow Bastion gang to alert them of their arrival, Yuffie came down and surprise glomped the three heroes walking toward the rest of the attendees. This action definitely caught the attention of Leon and the others, while forcing the victims of Yuffie's glomp attack into awkward positions.

"SORA! KAIRI! RIKU! AHHH. YOU GUYS ARE FINALLY HERE! WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU GUYS!" Yuffie exclaimed, rolling off of the people who were the source of her excitement. "You're late. AND. You've kept us all from dinner. AND THIS IS A CLEAR PROBLEM, BECAUSE OF RULE NUMBER 12: A HUNGRY NINJA IS A BAD NINJA," Yuffie huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"…and also a cranky one at that." Leon chimed in, earning him a glare from the target of his remark. Leon, Aerith, Cloud, and Merlin had all joined Sora and the others now, soft smiles on their faces. After the exchanging of formalities, and the trade off of a homemade rice krispie treat Kairi had brought in case she got the munchies to Yuffie to calm her hunger related anger, Sora decided to present the question of where Donald, Goofy, and the King were.

"We're not entirely sure, to be honest with you guys," Aerith answered, twiddling her thumbs.

"Donald and Goofy brought us in here, but then said they had some work to attend to elsewhere. They didn't mention when they'd be back," Leon added. Frankly, it hadn't crossed any of their minds to ask; they figured it best to be on a need to know basis at this point.

Sora crossed his arms, and looked around. "Well that's strange. They can take care of themselves, I know. I was just hoping to see them," he admitted, feeling a little disheartened. The teen brightened up though, and began to start toward the throne on the opposite side of the room. The rest of the group followed at a leisurely pace. "At least the King'll be here soon!" he exclaimed.

"Actually, I'm afraid His Majesty has had to leave on an impromptu mission yet again, dear friends," and elderly voice stated. Just then, the erudite wizard Yen Sid appeared in a blue flash in front of the throne, surprising the group of heroes walking toward it into a halt. "The King, Donald, and Goofy have all set out to take care of a few matters the King wished to look into. They send their apologies for leaving so suddenly," the wizard finished as Sora and the others approached him.

"We understand, Master Yen Sid. Thanks for sending the message on," Riku replied. He and Sora had on minute looks of disappointment on their faces, but they knew there was nothing they could do about their allies' departure now. Contemplation showed itself on each person's face at this point, as one question came to everyone's mind.

Were they going to have to leave on another campaign to save the worlds, too?

Yen Sid seemed to laugh at the expressions on everyone's faces, causing looks of confusion to take over those of contemplation.

"Never fear, this new dilemma should not require you all to leave your homes that much, if at all," Yen Sid comforted. A sigh of relief was ushered from the group, and Aerith stepped forward.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure where you're going with this, Master" Aerith stated, speaking the confusion on everyone's minds.

"What I mean is, there are no keyholes to seal, and no Heartless or Nobodies to battle; at least not at the current time, Miss Aerith," Yen Sid answered, a small smile appearing on his lips. Aerith was surprised he knew her name, but then figured if he knew the King well, he had probably heard reports from His Majesty on the status of Hollow Bastion, as well as the Battle of 1000 Heartless.

"So why did the King call us here, then?" Sora blurted, stepping forward. It seemed out of King Mickey's character to just send out a false alarm. The teen figured there had to be something needed of them.

"Because we are hoping to keep a small problem from becoming a giant catastrophe. You see, a few days ago, an unexpected visitor showed up at the castle. A young guard patrolling the castle grounds stumbled across this girl, badly injured and unconscious, along with this," Yen Sid explained, waving his arms in front of him. The Orb of Providence appeared in his hands, lackluster and ordinary looking. Yuffie couldn't help but think that if it had a whole in the top, it could work pretty well for a fish bowl.

"This is the Orb of Providence, a significant element pertaining to the balance of the Realms. Although it appears ordinary now, it once contained a great deal of pure energy, unaltered and sealed off - enough energy to permanently alter the balance between the realms of Darkness, Nothingness, and Light. Before I go on, let me inform you that your duty this time is to watch over not only the orb, but also the girl who appeared with it," Yen Sid continued, setting the Orb aside.

"Forgive me, Master, but just who is this girl? She seems kind of meddlesome," Sora questioned, crossing his arms yet again. It seemed kind of odd to him that one person would be so important to the balance between realms. All the villains they had faced before were taking on the approaches of having armies of Nobodies, or unleashing Kingdom Hearts, or using the Princesses of Heart – all approaches that required large amounts of people or victims to be successful. How in the worlds would one person be able to do the same as the plots he had foiled before?

And why would she just pop up? Did she collect things that looked like fishbowls for a hobby? It seemed irrelevant that she showed up with this Orb of whatever it was.

"That meddlesome girl would be me, spiky," Arete retorted, a slightly hurt expression on her face. The girl had managed to slip in to the room unnoticed by the hidden side door she and Algaeca had found earlier during their exploration of the palace. Hands on her hips, she relaxed her expression, not wanting to appear angry or irrational to the new faces standing in front of her.

Regardless of the comment Sora had just made, a smirk appeared on the girl's face; she couldn't help but relish in the burn she had just given a person she had never met before. Although it was probably used a lot, it still counted in Arete's book.

"Hey! Don't- mmrff," Sora tried to come back with, before Riku's hand covered his mouth. His best friend shushed him, and then released his hand, sending the brunette a glare demanding him to behave. The brunette huffed, and turned his attention to the ground.

With an abrupt "ahem," Yen Sid placed an arm out to the side, as if to introduce Arete. She took a step toward him, smiling, and turned to face the others yet again. "This is Princess Arete Sancia Valeska Toivonen, heir to the throne of Mozzatura Inicio, a world in the center of the universe," Yen Sid introduced. At the mentioning of her title, the visitors in the room, besides Sora, all respectively bowed and curtsied, while Sora had to be reminded of what was expected of his etiquette by a glare from Riku.

"Pleased to meet you all, but please, call me Arete. I do not normally care to take part in formalities," the teen chimed in, smiling.

"For this task, you will be guarding the Princess on the Destiny Islands. For reasons we do not have time to mention at the moment, it is not currently safe for Arete to return to her home world. For security purposes, she will be taking on a false last name, until things settle on Mozzatura Inicio, and the princess can return home," Yen Sid explained, somewhat out of nowhere. Riku noticed that at the mentioning of returning home that Arete flinched, but he decided that was a conversation better left for later. "She will be staying at a secure home that I have created on the islands. Meanwhile, all of you will be watching over her, but as if she was merely a friend, or in the case of those of you from Hollow Bastion, a student. Her mentor will be staying with her at the manor. She is not to be left alone until the king reports of any other information he has found on our new enemy, understood?" Yen Sid finished, seeming to be pressed hard for time. All of the heroes in the audience chamber nodded, aware of their mission. Sora and Riku did not like the lack of information, and Kairi seemed uncomfortable with the rushed atmosphere. But the trio knew that if this girl was all that they were assuming, this mission was not to be taken lightly.

Yen Sid smiled at the group, and clasped his hands together. "Very well. I will contact you all once I am able to better inform you of the task at hand. For now, I entrust the care of the princess into your capable hands. I hate to ship you all off so quickly, but I fear you must get going; the princess needs to be moved to a location that not many know about, and that is somewhat hard to find. Her belongings are already onboard of your gummi ship," Yen Sid informed them, nodding in the direction of Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

"May you all have safe travels."

**X - - - - - - - - - X**

Ahh, the end didn't turn out how I wanted it to, really. Ah well.

As always, feel free to review! I'd appreciate it very very much! :D

Thanks~

Oh! And to make things a little interesting, I'm adding a "Would You Rather" section to the end of each chapter. If you could answer it in your review, that would be wonderful!

Here it is:

Would you rather slide down an ice covered hill on your stomach, or have to eat six pizzas, by yourself?


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